Sarah Palin’s swing through Florida today and Tuesday brings her to friendly Republican territory with little exposure to Democrats or independent voters.

She is traveling through some of the most Republican parts of the state – Clearwater, Jacksonville, Fort Myers and Pensacola. The trip includes a fund-raiser in South Florida, but it’s an exclusive affair at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

Palin’s selection to be John McCain’s running mate appeared to be an attempt to rouse conservatives and to appeal to women voters, especially independents and disgruntled Democrats. She has succeeded in energizing the conservative base, but polls indicate that women Democrats are returning to their party roots and independents are breaking toward Democrat Barack Obama.

``Right now, the strategy continues to work on shoring up the base. She can turn out very large crowds, larger crowds than McCain does,’’ said Ron Rapoport, an expert on independent voters at William & Mary University. ``I don’t know that her appeal to independents is still there.’’

Republican strategists seem fearful of exposing Palin to the news media and reluctant to let her mix it up with a more diverse group of voters. It’s a very cautious strategy, considering her celebrity status and the initial excitement over her selection.

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About the author

WILLIAM E. GIBSON, the Sun Sentinel’s Washington correspondent for 27 years, has covered seven presidential elections and 14 sessions of Congress, always with South Florida readers in mind.

Originally from the Kansas City area, he lived in New Mexico, New York and Fort Lauderdale before moving to Washington. Along the way, he studied journalism at the University of Kansas and Columbia University.